Automatic valve for controlling the flow of air to pneumatic operating mechanism in railway dump cars



Jan. 11, 1955 NDE 2,699,126

E. O. LU AUTOMATIC VALVE FOR CONTROLLING THE FLOW OF AIR T0 PNEUMATIC OPERATING MECHANISM IN RAILWAY DUMP CARS Filed July 7, 1949 3 Sheets-Sheet l I INVENTOR. ZE/PQJQ 12/1703? ATTO/PAZ'Y Jan. 11, 1955 E. o. LUNDE 2,699,125

AUTOMATIC VALVE FOR CONTROLLING THE FLOW OF AIR T0 PNEUMATIC OPERATING MECHANISM IN RAILWAY DUMP CARS Filed July 7, 1949 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. A a/70- 010/20 8.

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1955 E. o. LUNDE 2,699,126

AUTOMATIC VALVE FOR CONTROLLING THE 110w OF AIR TO HANISM m RAILWAY DUMP CARS PNEUMATIC OPERATING MEC Filed July 7, 1949 3' Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. 1?);4 2' 0 [2020? United States Patent AUTOMATIC VALVE FOR CONTROLLING THE FLOW OF AIR TO PNEUMATIC OPERATING MECHANISM IN RAILWAY DUMP CARS Einar 0. Lunde, Wyckolf, N. J., assignor to Magor Car Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application July 7, 1949, Serial No. 103,476

9 Claims. (Cl. 105-273) This invention relates to an automatic valve for controlling the flow of air to pneumatic operating mechanism in railway dump cars.

The invention more particularly pertains to an improved automatic valve adapted for operative disposition in a railway dump car pneumatic control system wherein an automatic valve is disposed between an operating air conduit and a directional valve which deterrmnes the flow or air to pneumatic cylinders at one or the other side of a dump car.

The automatic valve is operative to provide flow of air to the dlrectional valve through air pressure from the operating conduit.

In structures of this kind, the automatic valve is constantly in communication with an air supply reservoir, and it no provision is made to close the communication 1n any way between the automatic valve and directional valve or the automatic valve and reservoir, air will be supplied to the operating dump cylinders throughout the enure range dumping operation.

In structures of this kind provision has heretofore been made to stop the flow of air to the cylinders by means of a separate cut-out cock operated automatically by a special linkage arrangement thereby requiring a part accessory to the automatic valve to perform this function.

A primary object of the present invention is to provide an improved automatic valve having inorcporated therein a cut-oil valve automatically operative at a predetermined point in the range of car body dumping movement and automatically restorable for normal functioning of the automatic valve at the same point in said range of movement upon return of the car body from its dumping position.

Other objects of the invention are the provision of means operatively associated with the cut-off valve for effecting said automatic operation and also for controlling the valve in relation to its seat.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent in the course of the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a more or less diagrammatic view showing the reservoir, dump cylinders and air conduits associated with a railway dump car, and which includes the improved automatic valve in accordance with the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a central vertical sectional view of the improved automatic valve in accordance with a preferred structural embodiment thereof.

Fig. 3 is an elevational view of the upper portion of Fig. 2 as observed in the plane of line 33 in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 4 is a transverse vertical section through the central longitudinal frame member of a railway dump car and showing the linkage operatively associated with the automatic valve.

Fig. 5 is a fragmental view similar to Fig. 4 but on a smaller scale and showing in particular the trunnions about which the car body rocks to either side thereof in a dumping operation.

Fig. 6 is a fragmental view corresponding to the right hand portion of Fig. 4 and disclosing a modified form of cut-oft valve operating means.

Referring now in detail to the drawings:

The railway car pneumatic dumping apparatus is fully disclosed in my co-pending application, Serial No. 77,655, filed February 21, 1949, now Patent No. 2,647,471, issued 2,699,126 Patented Jan. 11, 1955 August 4, 1953, and which is generally indicated herein in Fig. 1. Such apparatus generally embodies the automatic valve 10 having communication with the engineer controlled operating conduit 11, the cylinder charging conduit 12 communicating through conduit 13 with the reservoir 14, a conduit 15 extending from the reservoir and communicating with the automatic valve 10 and the manual control valve 16 which in turn communicates with the operating conduit 11 through the conduit 17.

The said apparatus further includes a directional valve 18 for selective distribution of air to the dumping cylinders 20 at one side of the car through conduit 19 or to the dumping cylinders 22 at the other side of the car through conduit 21, and the automatic valve 10 is in communication with the directional valve through conduit 35 The apparatus further includes a manual control valve operating handle 23 and a directional valve operating handle 24 with interposed linkages as is fully disclosed in said co-pending application.

The manual control valve 16 is fully disclosed in said co-pending application and the directional valve 18 is fully disclosed in my co-pending application, Serial No. 82,810, filed March 22, 1949, now Patent No. 2,647,536, issued August 4, 1953, and the present application is more particularly concerned with the automatic valve 10 which is disclosed in operative association with the manual control valve 16 and directional valve 18 in said co-pending application, Serial No. 77,655.

The improved automatic valve as shown in Fig. 2 includes a top section 25 to which is secured a clip 26 by means of bolts 27, and the said clip is adapted for suitable connection with the upper part of the central car frame member F, as is indicated in Fig. 4.

The valve further includes an intermediate section 28 to which said top section 25 is secured by bolts 29, and a bottom section 30 to which said intermediate section is releasably secured by T-bolts 31. The bottom section 30 includes a flange portion provided with an aperture 32 for receiving a suitable securing element (not shown) engageable with the lower portion of the frame member F.

The bottom valve section 30 is provided with a threaded inlet 33 for connection with a conduit 33 in communication with the operating conduit 11, the top section 25 is provided with an opening 34 which receives conduit 34 which is in communication with conduit 15, and the intermediate section 28 is provided with a threaded opening 35 which receives the conduit 35 extending into communication with the directional valve 18.

A main valve 36 normally engages a seat 37 which is disposed between sections 25 and 28 and retained by said bolts 29. An air chamber 38 is provided in section 25, and an air chamber 39 is provided in section 28 and which may have communication through an opening 39 in the top wall of section 28, but which are sealed from each other when the main valve 36 is in contact with seat 37. The chamber 38 is in communication with conduit 34 and the reservoir 14 and the chamber 39 is in communication with conduit 35 and the directional valve 18 A cut-off valve 40 is shown in its normal open position and which is of inverted cup form and telescopically engages the main valve 36.

It is to be noted that the chamber 38 is at all times under pressure of the air from the reservoir 14 and that it is at all times in communication with a chamber 41 within the cut-off valve 40 by means of a port 42 in the cylindrical wall of the cut-off valve 40.

When the dumping operation is controlled from the locomotive, air under pressure is admitted to the operating line 11 through which it flows into chambers 43 and 44, the former of which is in bottom section 30, and the latter of which is disposed above said section and communicates with the former through an opening 43 in the top wall of the bottom section.

The air pressure in chamber 44 will cause the piston 45 and its associated piston rod 46 to move upwardly until the clearance 47 is taken up, whereupon further movement of rod 46 will urge rod 48 upwardly and thereby lift the main valve 36 from its seat 37 thus permitting passage of air under pressure from the chamber 38 into chamber 39, and accordingly into the directional valve 18, as well as to the selected dump cylinders 20 or 22.

The movement of piston 45 is limited upon its engagement with the exhaust valve 49 and in which position the seats 50, 51 and 52 serve to prevent any leakage of air to the atmosphere.

The pressure in the operating conduit 11 will hold the piston 45 and thus hold the main valve 36 in open position until the operating conduit pressure is sutliciently reduced to allow the closing springs 53 and 54 to return the valve 36 and piston 45 to their normal positions.

With the main valve 36 in open position, air under pressure will continue to flow into the dump cylinders 20 or 22 until the car body has been tilted to a point near the end of the maximum tilt provided. At this point, the linkage, later referred to, will rotate the cam 55 which through its engagement with button 56 will urge the cut-off valve 40 to its seat 37.

This action will cut off the How of air from the chamber 38 to the chamber 39 even though the main valve 36 is in open position.

As the car body returns to its normal position, the linkage referred to will accumulate sufficient slack such that the cam control arm spring 57 will act to return the cam 55 and the attached cam arm 58 to their original normal positions. This action will enable the cut off valve 40 to return to its normal open position and since the main valve 36 is still open, the air will again How from chamber 38 into chamber 39 and into the directional valve 18 and dump cylinders 20 or 22.

It is to be particularly noted that the chambers 38 and 41 which are in communication through port 42, are under reservoir air pressure at all times.

This feature of maintaining air pressure in chamber 41 plus a slight assist from spring 53 provides the required energy for forcing the cut-off valve 40 to its open position after the cam 55 has been returned to the corresponding position. A sealing ring 59 is provided to aid in maintaining the air pressure in the chamber 41.

As the air pressure in the operating conduit 11 becomes exhausted in order to return the car body to its normal position, the spring 54 will return the piston 45 to its normal position and the air in the dump cylinders will force the exhaust valve 49 to open so that the air may escape to the atmosphere through the exhaust port 60. It should be noted that the exhaust valve 49 is held on its seat by a very light spring 61. This feature will seal the chamber 39 from atmospheric conditions when the automatic valve is not in use but at the same time the spring 61 is of such capacity that a predetermined low pressure in chamber 39 will always etfect opening of valve 49 so as to prevent any undesirable accumulation of air pressure in the dump cylinders due to leakage at the main valve 36.

With respect to the cut-off valve 40, it is essential that it have a positive sealing action while avoiding excessive pressure on the valve seat 37 to an extent as to effect damage thereof. Accordingly, the spring 57 in normal position has capacity to hold the fulcrum pin 62 in the position shown in solid lines in Fig. 2 while the cam 55 is rotating to an extent sufiicient to cause the seating of the cut-off valve 40. When the cam 55 has been rotated to the point where the valve 40 is seated, the additional rotation of the cam will cause the pin 62 to rise in the slot 63 provided in the support 64 thereby causing a slight extension of spring 57. The amount of rise caused by cam 55 is predetermined and the spring 57 is designed so as to hold the pressure of valve 40 on its seat 37 within reasonable limits and still insure a positive seating of the valve.

The support 64 is shown in Fig. 3 as a view at right angles to that of Fig. 2, and such support includes a base 65 through which said bolts 27 extend and which carries the clip 26.

The linkage for effecting operation of the cam 55 is operated upon rotation of the car body in one direction or the other about fulcrurns adjacent opposite sides of the body, and such linkage is illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5.

As shown, a pin 66 is supported by the car body in a central vertical longitudinal plane thereof, and such pin is accordingly swingable in arcs a and a about the fulcrums 67 and 67 (Fig. when the car body is being tilted by the cylinders 20 or 22 and the associated pistons connected with the car body.

Parallel links 68 have corresponding ends thereof pivotally connected to pin 66, and the opposite ends of the links are connected to a link 69 which is provided with an elongated slot 70 in which a pin 71 carried by links 68 is disposed. The slot 70 is disposed adjacent one end of link 69 and the opposite end thereof is pivotally connected by a pin 72 to the end of the cam arm 58 opposite its connection with the cam 55.

When the car body is being tilted, as to the right, the pin 66 will move to the position 66' at which point the links 68 and 69 will be in alignment with the sloped end surface 73 of link 69 engaged with a pin 74 carried by links 68. The links will act as one straight link from this point on to the end of travel of pin 66, whereby the cam arm 58 will be actuated by the linkage with the resulting closing of the cut-off valve 40 due to rotation of the cam 55.

When the car body is returning to its normal position, as soon as any slack occurs in the linkage, the cam arm spring 57 will cause the cam 55 to rotate to its normal position, thereby enabling the cut-olf valve 40 to be automatically re-set wherein the cam engages a stop pin 75 carried by the support 64.

As will be noted in Fig. 4, the pivotal connection 72 between link 69 and cam arm 58 is movable to different vertical positions beneath the bottom B of the car floor. The dot-and-dash line c indicates the position of arm 58 when the cut-off valve is closed and the dot-and-dash line d indicates the position of arm 58 at the dumping position of the car body. The linkage described is effective also when the car body is dumped to the left wherein pin 66 will be in the position 66 when the links 68 and 69 are aligned.

While the cut-off valve operating means has above been disclosed as embodying a cam, the invention is not necessarily limited thereto inasmuch as other means may be disposed between the arm 58 and the cut-off valve for operating same without departing from the fundamental features of the instant invention.

Thus in Fig. 6 is illustrated another of several possible deviations from the cam structure of Fig. 4.

As indicated in Fig. 6, the support 64 is connected to the center car frame member F by means of a clip 26". According to this embodiment, arms 58 extend beyond the support 64 and the arm is pivotally connected as at 62* to the upper end of a link 55 whose lower end is pivotally connected as at 55 to the upper end of the cutoff valve stem.

In this modified embodiment the arms 58 are provided with a floating pivot pin 58 which is normally held at the bottom of a slot 63 opening through the top of the support 64 as by means of a spring 57 corresponding to the spring 57 in Fig. 4. In this figure the dot-and-dash line indicates the dump position and is so indexed on the drawing.

The operation of this form of the cut-off valve operating means is similar to that of Fig. 4, the link 55' in Fig. 6 operating the cut-off valve in place of the cam 55 in Fig. 4 and the spring 57 having the same function as spring 57 in Fig. 4.

While I have disclosed my invention in accordance with a single specific structural embodiment thereof, such is to be considered as illustrative only, and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being defined in the sub-joined claims.

What I claim and desire to secure by U. S. Letters Patent is:

1. In a railway dump car having a body swingable about a trunnion adjacent each side thereof, pneumatic operating means for swinging said body toward either side thereof including an operating cylinder adjacent each side, a directional valve for selectively controlling the flow of air to the cylinders, an automatic valve structure having a chamber in communication with an air supply reservoir and a chamber in communication with said directional valve, a main valve controlling communication between said chambers, and an operating air conduit communicating with the automatic valve structure and operative upon said main valve to establish communication between said chambers for flow of air to said directional valve; the improvement which comprises a cut-0E valve in said automatic valve structure for controlling communication between said chambers, and means operative upon swinging movement of the body for operating said cut-off valve when the body is near its point of maximum swing.

2. The structure according to claim 1 wherein said main valve is cylindrical and wherein said cut-off valve includes an inverted cup shaped member telescoping said cylindrical valve, and said cup shaped member being normally spaced from a valve seat between said chambers and engageable by said cylindrical valve, and said last means operating to move said cup shaped member into engagement with said seat to close communication between said chambers when said cylindrical valve is raised from its seat.

3. The structure according to claim 2 wherein said cutofi valve is normally maintained in open position by means of a spring, and a port in the wall of said cup shaped member for admitting air thereinto from said first chamber whose pressure assists said spring in maintaining the cutoff valve in open position.

4. An automatic valve structure for use with railway dump cars, having an air chamber for communication with an air supply reservoir, a second chamber below said first chamber for communication with a directional valve, a communicating opening between said chambers surrounded by a valve seat, a cylindrical main valve normally engaged with said seat for closing communication between said chambers, a piston disposed below said second chamber, means disposed between said valve and said piston for moving said valve from its seat upon movement of the piston, an air chamber beneath said piston adapted for communication with an operating air line whereby air pressure within said last chamber imparts movement to the piston, a cut-off valve in said first chamber including an inverted cup shaped member telescoped over said cylindrical valve and whose free edge is engageable with said valve seat, spring means normally holding said edge away from said seat, and means operable to move said edge of the cup shaped member into contact with said seat to close communication between said first two chambers when said cylindrical valve is in open position.

5. The structure according to claim 4 wherein said poston is normally retained in inoperative position by means of a relatively heavy spring disposed between same and an abutment in said valve structure, and an exhaust valve disposed beneath an opening in the bottom of second chamber and normally retained in engagement with a seat surrounding said opening by a relatively light spring disposed between the exhaust valve and said piston, and an exhaust port in a wall of said automatic valve structure for establishing communication between said second chamber and atmosphere upon depression of said exhaust valve against the action of said light spring.

6. In a railway dump car having a body swingable about trunnions at opposite sides thereof, operating pneumatic cylinders at each side of the car for swinging the body about one or the other of said trunnions, an air supply reservoir, a directional valve for selectively directing the air to the cylinders at one or the other side of the car, an automatic valve having a chamber in communication with said reservoir, a second chamber in communication with said directional valve, a main valve controlling communication between said chambers, a. cut-01f valve telescoped over said main valve for controlling communication between said chambers at predetermined points in the range of swinging movement of the body about a trunnion, a cam operative to move said cut-01f valve to chamber communication closing position, and lever means operative by said body in its swinging movement connected with said cam for operating same.

7. The structure according to claim 6 wherein said lever means comprises a pair of parallel links having corresponding ends pivotally connected to a fixed pin centrally of said body, a second link having an elongated slot adjacent one end, a pin supported by the other ends of said pair of links movably disposed in said slot, the other end of said last link being pivotally connected to one end of a cam bar, and the other end of said cam bar being connected with said cam.

8. In combination, a central longitudinal frame of a dump car swingable about a fulcrum disposed laterally of the frame, an automatic valve structure secured to said frame and including a vertically movable cut-01f valve having an upwardly facing button, spring means operatively associated with said valve operative to move same to normal open position, and means connectible to said dump car and operatively associated with said button for closing said valve upon swinging movement of the car about said fulcrum, said means comprising a linkage including a pair of links having corresponding ends thereof pivotally supportable by the car body in a central vertical longitudinal plane thereof and a cam arm having one end thereof pivotally connected in said linkage for free vertical movement relative to said frame, a support projecting vertically upwardly from said valve structure and provided with a vertically elongated slot, a cam member secured to the other end of said arm and having a button engageable edge, a pivot pin extending through said cam member and supported in said slot, a spring having opposite ends thereof connected to said frame and said arm operative to normally maintain said pivot pin at the lower end of said slot, and said pivot pin being moveable upwardly in said slot upon engagement of said cam edge with said button in opposition to the action of said spring.

9. The structure according to claim 8 wherein said cam edge includes a camming portion and a portion concentric with said pivot pin, and a stop pin curved by said support engageable by said cam member for limiting its movement to inoperative position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 940,815 Moore Nov. 23, 1909 1,022,758 Seaver Apr. 9, 1912 1,144,758 Desmond June 29, 1915 1,489,138 Leclerc et al. Apr. 1, 1924 1,884,458 Willenberg Oct. 25, 1932 1,972,042 Flowers Aug. 28, 1934 2,471,160 Matson et al. May 24, 1949 

